The Gloucester Emergency Management and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services are partnering to offer a Civilian Response and Casualty Care course Saturday at the Emergency Management Center, located at 7478 Justice Drive.

The course is being offered at two time slots, one from 8 a.m. to noon and the other from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The free training is designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend / Run, Hide, Fight strategy developed by Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, or Alerrt. It provides strategies, guidance and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event.

This course combines the civilian response with the Stop the Bleed Campaign, which empowers civilians to provide lifesaving medical aid before first responders arrive. Topics include the history and prevalence of active shooter events, civilian response options, and basic medical intervention to reduce preventable causes of death.

Gloucester’s Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator Jane Wenner said it’s not often that a course of this quality is offered. She said the instructors make the training personal and put potential active shooter situations into perspective to better prepare participants.

The course provides partial in-service credit for Virginia law enforcement officers, campus security officers and school security officers.

The training is open to the public, but those wishing to attend must register online at www.dcjs.virginia.gov/training-events/civilian-response-and-casualty-care-crcc. Check in for the training will open 30 minutes prior to its start.